Avoid Death by PowerPoint and Still Teach a Class with Jennifer Stanislaw

From Day One in the fire service, the lecture is the standard teaching method.

Sometimes, it seems like fire departments must keep Microsoft in business, what with all the PowerPoint software they must be ordering.

And you know the instruction -- notice I didn’t say “learning” – keeps going like this until you retire. Want to be a Battalion Chief? There’s a lecture and PowerPoint for that. An Engineer? Yep, got it covered. Captain? Of course.

Now, I know the fire service doesn’t like change. As Chief Brunacini said, "Firefighters hate two things—change and the way things are now.”

But maybe it is time to teach differently. If you’ve ever lectured to a room full of Millennials or Gen Z, you know they don’t get much out of it. They’re on their phones.

Here to explore some fresh ideas for teaching is Jennifer Stanislaw.

She heads up the West Salem, Oregon, High School Emergency Services Program. She also has over 25 years of experience as a paramedic and volunteer firefighter.